Suspect Dies In Police Shooting

Chicago police fatally shot a Riverdale man on the North Side early Friday after he allegedly threatened a woman, evaded capture, and tried to run over several officers.

Emmett Blanton, 41, of 14116 S. Tracy Ave., died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

It was one of at least three shooting deaths Friday.

The North Side incident began shortly after midnight, when two police officers saw a 21-year-old woman roll out of a car being driven by Blanton on the 3500 block of North Broadway, according to police spokesman Pat Camden.

The woman told police that Blanton had offered to give her a ride but then threatened her and refused to let her out, Camden said.

Soon after, other police officers located and began pursuing Blanton's car, which crashed into a building when Blanton tried to turn left from Clark Street onto Diversey Avenue.

Blanton did not leave his car when ordered and instead reversed his car and drove east on the sidewalk, almost hitting several officers, Camden said.

When police boxed in Blanton's car at Pine Grove and Wrightwood Avenues, Blanton reached into the car's glove box and then extended his arm towards the officers. Fearing Blanton was armed, the officers opened fire, Camden said.

It was later determined that Blanton did not have a gun, and it was not known what, if anything, he was holding when he was shot, Camden said.

The shooting is being investigated by the police department's Office of Professional Standards, a routine procedure following a shooting involving a police officer.

On the city's West Side, two people were killed in separate shooting incidents Friday.

Gary Thomas, 44, of the 400 block of South 12th Avenue in Maywood, was killed and three other innocent bystanders were wounded in a shooting around 4:45 p.m. in the 4200 block of West Madison Street, police said.

The four were struck when a gang member fired shots at a rival gang member and missed, police said.

In the other shooting on the West Side, Moatise Williams, 24, of 3543 W. Jackson Blvd., was fatally shot while sitting on his bicycle around 6:40 p.m. in the 3800 block of Washington Boulevard, police said.